Gas Up 3 Cents; Odd Price Drop in Oil Markets

Updated at 3:33 pm, September 17th, 2012

Share This

Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The weekly average price of a gallon of regular gas is $3.88, up three cents compared to a week ago, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. This price is up 28 cents from a year ago.

Gas prices are still expected to move lower in coming weeks, but protests in oil producing countries have pushed the price of crude oil higher, which contributes to higher gas prices.

The Fed’s QE3 announcement last week is another factor that could keep prices higher.

In the crude oil market Monday, prices dropped $3 in less than a minute in New York trading. Brent crude, a separate crude oil market also saw a similar price plunge.

It was not immediately clear what caused the sharp drop, absent any concrete reason there is speculation that this was the result of a high frequency trade — a massive computer trade.

Oil settled at $96.62 a barrel in New York trading Monday, down $2.38.